Australia is home to thousands and thousands of international students. The country has been welcoming more than half a million international students every year, and the number has always been towards the increasing side, except in the years of the pandemic.
Whether we believe it or not, almost all the international students enter Australia with a primary motive of getting PR to this wonderful nation. In general, most of the students choose to enroll in PR-oriented courses, which, combined with some relevant experience, makes it easier for them to get PR eventually. However, not every student gets to enroll in his or her desired course for one or the other reason.
It is obvious for international students to look for the best possible PR pathway once they are in the latter part of their course, and this is where they need their visa extension. Whether the student has not cleared all his/her subjects or he/she needs to take admission in another program, an extension in the visa gets essential. In fact, it is very common for students to hop courses in order to extend their stay in Australia, which we do not advocate at all, for it may lead to problems getting PR in the longer run.
In any case, if the students need to extend their visa, here is a systemic guide to assist them. The guide helps them with the steps they need to follow.
Identify the Need to Extend the Student Visa
Well, as mentioned above, most of the students get their visa extended in order to enroll in the next course; however, there are times when students need to get visa extension because of failure to pass all the subjects of their course program. For the latter case, students can easily foresee whether they need to apply for visa extension or not.
If the student has a few subjects pending from the past semester(s) or needs to take admission in a new program, he/she can go for the student visa extension.
As an education & migration agency, we have seen most of the international students in Australia taking the visa extension for either of the two reasons mentioned above.
Apply for Extended CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment) from the Educational Institute
The students having any subject(s) pending in their previous semester(s) and nearing the end of their course generally need to get their visa extended. To do so, they need to apply for extended CoE from their educational institute.
Based on this extended Confirmation of Enrolment, the student gets eligible for a student visa extension for the duration of the remaining program.
Arrange All Relevant Documents
Obviously, as the visa application will be re-applied, all the relevant documents will need to be arranged. This includes the passport of the student, extended CoE, IELTS/PTE score, academics, etc. The student may also need to showcase his/her financials in some cases.
An education & migration agent can assist in providing the list of all the relevant documents, and even filing the visa extension.
Extend or Purchase New OSHC
It is mandatory for all international students in Australia to maintain their OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) during the entirety of their stay. Therefore, whenever they plan to extend their student visa, they must either extend their OSHC or purchase a new one. The students can buy the OSHC from www.budgetpolicy.com.
Apply for Visa Extension
Once all the relevant documents are in place, the next and final step is to apply for the student visa extension. Although the students can apply for the visa extension on their own, we suggest them to take the assistance of an education & migration agent, for the agents know the process completely. Applying through an agent would mean minimal hassle and the visa application done perfectly.
Conclusion
In case you are looking for an extension on your student visa, our experienced counselors can assist in filing a perfect case, thereby reducing the chances of unfavorable outcomes if any. For affordable and hassle-free services, please feel free to get in touch with us.
